IT was by the presence of God in the operation of the Spirit that the prayers of Elijah and Elisha brought the dead to life, and by it that our Saviour cast out devils, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, the power of speech to the dumb, sound flesh to the leper, and new life and vitality to Jarius' daughter, the widow's son, and Lazarus. This was the "virtue" that flowed from Him to the woman who gave the touch of faith. It was by this power also that the dead Saviour became the living Saviour, and that, after His ascension, Dorcas, whose eyes had been closed in death, opened her eyes again, sat up, and was restored in perfect health to her friends. By the same Spirit also all of the dead will be brought to life again, and all of them who are sleeping in Jesus will receive this Spirit in sufficient measure to transform them from mortality to immortality; for, says the Creator, "I will put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live."
The Spirit is the life of God, which is eternal life; and when, in the great transformation from "this body of our humiliation" to the likeness of "His glorious body," we shall be surcharged with the "Spirit of life from God," we will thus be "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven," "mortality" will "be swallowed up of life," and "He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit."
We have said that electricity is the best medium by which we can illustrate the Holy Spirit. Some seem to confound the Holy Spirit with electricity. Let us not make this serious mistake. Electricity is an agency that will obey certain laws, and accomplish wonderful results, but it is not the Holy Spirit. Electricity, when properly applied, will propel cars, drive machinery, produce the greatest heat known to science. It can be utilized in transmitting messages by telegraph and telephone. It is employed to brilliantly illuminate our streets and dwellings; it will produce the most glorious artificial illumination ever beheld by the eyes of man.
It can be utilized in manifold forms in the treatment of disease; and its all-pervading presence in our earth's atmosphere is the secret of wireless telegraphy. In fact, the space of a chapter would scarcely enumerate the uses of electricity. But, after all, it is only one of God's agencies, which man has discovered and adapted to his requirements. It can not think; it can not produce life; it can not connect us with the Supply Center of the energy of the universe.
Take a mental picture. Imagine a dead body. Apply a current of electricity to it, and while it may cause some of the cords and muscles to contract, it can not produce heart action, nor start the circulation of the blood, nor cause the lungs to perform their natural function, nor the brain to act, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, nor the tongue to speak. The current may be applied for an indefinite period of time, the dead will not revive. But when the Creator applies
A Current of the Holy Spirit
to the dead, it matters not how long life has been extinct; instantly, the heart beats
vigorously, the pure red life-current flows to every part of the body; the lungs contract and expand to supply the breath of God to the system; the brain cells act; the man thinks, reasons, worships his Life-giver; every organ of the body perfect performs its function. I call "a multitude of captives" with a resurrected Saviour at their head, to witness to this power of the Spirit. They all bear testimony with Jesus, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore."
Reader, what think you, if this Spirit can resurrect the dead, can it not give you power over that which causes death? Let me assure you that this resource of supreme creative energy, is pledged in your behalf, to give you the victory over sin—even resurrection power; for "if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh." The power of sin may be fully broken by the superior power of the Spirit, therefore, "sin shall not have dominion over you," "if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" in all of its fulness.
How Shall We Establish the Living Connection
with this Source of divine power? Suppose an electric car is standing "dead" upon the rails. The trolley is not in contact with the "live" wire above. The conductor places the trolley in contact with the "live" wire overhead, the connection with the great generating motor is made, the car speeds on its course. Faith is the trolley that connects us with the power above, and brings a living current supply of the Spirit, the life of God, into our lives, enabling us to pursue our course heavenward. Reader, have you established this connection with the Power supply of the universe. If so, do not relinquish your hold of the Spirit, and thereby cut yourself off from your base of supply.
The Holy Spirit forms also our telegraph and telephone connection with the throne of God. By the Spirit we are in touch with Him, and by the same Spirit we talk with Him and He hears us. Of all generations who have ever been upon the stage of action, the present population of the globe should be "not faithless, but believing." While the power of electricity was questioned when first discovered, with its present development even the most unenlightened will believe with the most highly intellectual, in the marvels produced by this so-called fluid.
If man has discovered one of God's created agencies, and so marvelously applied it to his own purposes, why should it stagger our faith to accept the fact, the universal agency of the Spirit of God?
It was not the Spirit which inspired the thoughts contained in the Book of books. "Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost!" It is by the operation of this same Spirit—God's omnipresent life—that the grass grows, the flowers bud and blossom, and emit their fragrance. It colors the rose, it paints the lily; it supplies the life principle in all seeds, which grow in infinite variety, to furnish food to God's creatures. Everything created is an expression of the thought of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the agency by which all things created came into existence. It is the mysterious life, undiscovered and unanalyzed by all the resources of science, yet flowing freely from the Source of life to every man. Thus the Head of the plan of salvation has infinite resources at His command, and is in reality in touch with all of His creatures in all portions of His dominion.
Is it a reasonable thing to curse our Life-giver? How basely ungrateful to curse our Creator with the very life that He momentarily supplies, or to pervert that life and use it for serving sin.
It is good to recognize God's omnipresence, and to be filled with praise to the Sustainer of our lives.